More than 170 care workers set their own wages after signing up to trailblazing platform

More than 170 care workers are set to earn well above the average national hourly rate – after signing up to a new trailblazing platform that allows them to set their own pay and keep 100% of their earnings.

Launched in September, Click Shifts, part of the Flourish brand from Merseyside-based The Progress Group, connects care clients to local, experienced, and vetted carers who can cover shifts at short notice, reducing the need to rely on agencies and avoiding additional fees.

Crucially, Click Shifts does not take a cut from what the carer is paid by the client ensuring care workers receive the full amount for the hours they work.

Amid statistics showing there were 131,000 unfilled UK care worker vacancies last year, Flourish data today reveals that in the space of just a few months, 173 care workers from across the country – in locations ranging from Merseyside, Manchester and Bradford, to Bristol and London – have all completed the vetting process to use the platform.

Carers can set their availability, and both carers and care clients can rate each other, ensuring transparency and accountability on both sides.

Once vetted, care workers can ‘go live’ and start benefiting from the platform when they set their availability and hourly wage. Currently 169 of workers have gone live and completed this step including 37 in the North West.

Those enjoying the platform are currently earning an average of £14.38 an hour – well above the national hourly average which according to Skills For Care data was just over £11 in 2024.

Flourish officials also confirmed 26 companies within the care sector had also been approved and signed up to the innovative platform.

To register with Click Shifts care workers need to have a cleared DBS check, hold up-to-date training certificates, and provide two references.

Delighted at the response so far, Phil Hitchcox, Flourish’s Strategic Development Director, said: “It is fantastic to see so many brilliant care workers from across the UK signing up to Click Shifts and being empowered to set their own pay and availability. But also, we know that the care providers love the simplicity of being able to source fully vetted care workers and select them based on their CVs, suitability and availability.

“The latest statistics show there were 131,000 vacant posts in 2024, and we will continue to play an active role in addressing this situation by removing barriers and helping the profession be an attractive choice.”

Flourish brings together more than 15 years of expertise from three established companies, which are now part of The Progress Group: MyWorkMode, Grey Matter Learning, and AC Education.